The two days passed in the blink of an eye and the next game round started. The sky started to crack and the half-dragon emerged once more.
"Humanity, are you ready for your next game?"
The half-dragon asked in a calm voice. But all she got were resentful gazes of the people around her. Not that it mattered to her because she knew that none of the humans could harm her.
"Since the clock has struck zero, it's time to start the game. Good luck to you all."
Her words mocked humanity.
The female half-dragon clapped her hand and everyone disappeared from earth. A new game round had started once more.
__________
"Ahhh, I am going to crash—"
Lilianna complained as her body moved quickly through the air. But it slowed down seconds before it hit the ground and she did not crash.
Instead, she landed lightly on her feet in a pitch-black space and she immediately checked her system to see if there was any message.
"Let's see…"
The slight glow from the system made her surroundings a little clearer and she concentrated on it…only for someone to grab her shoulder and pull her along.
"H-Hey, what the—"
"Shhh, don't speak right now. Just follow me."
Andrew's voice calmed down Lilianna's crazy beating heart and she slowly calmed down. Andrew dragged her into a tightly-fitting space and she let out a sigh of relief.
Before she could speak, Andrew placed his hand over her mouth to make her quieten down. Seconds later, a huge body walked past them.
Andrew tensed as he waited for that body to pass and once it did, he let out a sigh of relief and opened his system.
"W-What is going on here? I was just about to check my system for the details of this game…"
Lilianna told him once they were safe.
[Game five: Hide-and-seek.]
[Objective: for Players to hide from the monsters in the dungeon and find the 'special item' that will allow them to return. Players have 2 lives and a total of 5 days to find the objective.]
[Additional resources like maps and coins can be found around the map. Players are advised to try and collect all 5 pieces of maps to unlock special benefits.]
"Wow—! The rules sure leave a lot to be explained. So, what are we going to do now? And what about Clara? Is she not with you?"
Lilianna asked with a bumped-out expression.
Andrew closed his system screen as well and shook his head.
"Clara must be around somewhere here as well. Our contract would make sure we are in the same game-space at least. We should try to find her while also keeping an eye out for other materials along the way."
Lilianna nodded as she followed Andrew.
"Should I take out a torch? It is so hard to see. Do we even have an idea about where we are going…"
She complained and almost tripped.
"Don't take out a torch for now. It might alert the monsters in this maze. For now, just follow me. I have a way to know where these monsters are."
Andrew told her as he walked in front of her. He kept holding her arm so that Lilianna would not accidentally leave his side, and he kept his eyes peeled open.
Due to System's Eye, he was able to pin-point the location of not only the monsters around him, but also of important stuff, like coins.
It was because of this that he was able to notice when a monster came too close and he immediately dragged Lilianna into a safe space to hide from the monster.
"W-What is that thing…?"
Lilianna questioned as she got a proper look at the monster as well. A small hole in the dark cave's ceiling illuminated the area enough for a quick glance.
"That's a blind mole-rat. It's too high-level for us to kill. All we can do is try to avoid it."
Andrew took a quick look at his system window once more to check the creature.
[Mob Name: Blind-Mole rat (level 100). These creatures cannot see well, but their keen sense of smell allows them to track their prey with extreme efficiency.]
The description had not changed, nor had the level of the mob boss. And the fact that the mob was level 100 meant that the game did not intend for it to be slain.
Andrew was not foolish and suicidal. He knew fully well that this mob was not one he needed to slay.
Once the mob was gone, Andrew and Lilianna started to walk as well. Their objective was to find Clara as soon as possible.
________
'Tsk, when is it going to leave us alone. I cannot go out and look for others as long as that monster is out there.'
Clara snuck her head out of the crack she was hiding in. She could barely make out the shape of the monster in front of her, but she instinctively knew that it was there.
For a second, all she wanted to do was run through the darkness and hope she was able to get away.
But it was a foolish thought and she knew that as well.
Since the mob was not moving, she decided to use her abilities. There were not a lot of plants in the cave, but she could still feel a few of them.
Her ability allowed her to move it a little, causing noise that instantly alerted the monster. It immediately went to chase that noise and Clara took that opportunity to make a run for it.
After all, she could not spend all her time in the tiny crack with only enough room to stand around. She would die of thirst…or maybe suffocate.
Her attempt to run away was successful and she almost made it all the way to the end…before she felt the presence of the mob monster behind her.
A sharp pair of claws pierced her back and pain assaulted her being.
[You have lost 1 of your lives.]
[Lives remaining 1/2.]
[Reminder, if lives fall to 0, you will permanently die.]
The messages assaulted her senses as she took a sharp breath and opened her eyes.
"Fuck—! I died. That was…too terrifying. Now, where am I…?"
She looked around, but once again, she saw nothing. So she started to walk, keeping an eye out for the monsters and also using her abilities to connect with what little plants that she could.
It was beyond exhausting but she could not give up. The second she did, it would be game over for her.